A New Light
by fhestia
Summary: When she finds Professor Snape injured and alone in the forest, Hermione comforts him as only a know-it-all can. One-shot H/C drabble request; professor/student relationship, *not* a romantic pairing.


The farther Hermione ventured down the path toward the edge of the forest, the fainter the moonlight became. She still didn't know exactly why she was doing this.

Professor Snape missed meal times here and there, that wasn't unusual. On rare occasions, he would even be absent for a lecture and someone else would fill in. So the fact that earlier in the day he had missed a class and wasn't at supper in the evening didn't strike Hermione as odd. But she'd noticed the nervous, sidelong glances between the other teachers and the subdued mood surrounding the Slytherin table. Later, during her curfew patrol, when she overheard Professor McGonagall speaking anxiously of his absence, a sick sensation of foreboding began to churn in her gut.

Hermione quickened her pace, trying to ignore the numerous eyes reflecting her wand light and the horrible squelching sound of her shoes in the soft, slippery earth. She hadn't told anyone before setting off to search for Professor Snape. No one knew she was here and should anything happen, it would be hours before anyone noticed she was missing. She knew she was taking a foolish risk. The only thing driving her forward was a feeling that this time something was very, very wrong.

She stopped as the path narrowed, her wand light quickly swallowed up by the surrounding darkness. The woods seemed preternaturally silent. Hermione swallowed, steeling her courage.

"Is anyone there?" she called as loudly as she dared, more to hear the sound of her own voice rather than in hopes of a response.

A sudden rustling to her left drew her attention and as she turned, her wand light fell on the opening into a clearing formed by low, overhanging branches. From within, there was the sound of a moan, then eerie silence fell again with only the magnified sound of her own breathing reaching her ears.

Hermione parted the branches with her hand, grimacing as droplets from the earlier rainstorm pattered onto her head. The scent of decay was thick in the air, along with the stronger smell of damp earth and...blood? Did she smell blood?

_Don't panic, don't panic,_ she told herself.

Her heart hammered in her chest and one foot skidded out from underneath her as she stepped forward into a muddy patch of ground. She landed roughly, taking the weight of the fall on her elbows and one knee. Her wand flew from her grasp. As she reached to retrieve it, she noticed another wand half-buried in the mud and beyond that, a huddled figure in matte black. She screamed and scrambled to her feet.

"An impressive show of Gryffindor bravery, Miss Granger," she heard a low, familiar voice say.

Hermione stepped closer, angling her wand so the light fell softly on Professor Snape, his back resting against a rotted log at the edge of the clearing. He glanced up at her in annoyance, shielding his eyes. His usually-neat attire was rumpled, covered liberally with mud. There was a gash over his left eyebrow, the skin over his cheekbone was beginning to swell and bruise, and a trail of blood trickled from one nostril. She tried to keep her expression neutral but the shock on her face must have been apparent. He raised a trembling hand to his face and winced, studying his blood-covered fingers impassively.

"Professor Snape," she said, taking another step toward him. "You're injured,"

"An astute observation," he said. Hermione could hear a slight quiver in his normally composed tone. He tried to rise from where he was slumped against the log but his breath caught in his throat and he fell back heavily. In the faint light, his skin appeared nearly colorless and the metallic tang of sweat and blood was sharp in her nose.

"Don't try to move, " she said in alarm. She went to her knees beside him, dabbing gently at his wounds with a clean handkerchief from her pocket. He winced and sucked in a breath through his teeth. "I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I don't want to leave you alone, but I need to go find help."

Hermione sat back on her heels, running through the possibilities in her mind. He needed immediate attention, but how to get Madam Pomfrey here? If she returned to the castle she wouldn't be allowed to leave again. They were too far under tree cover for _Relashio_ to do much good. She wasn't certain she could project _Sonorus_ far enough and even if she could, it would draw the attention of the entire castle. And certainly no one outside of DA needed to know she could conjure a Patronus.

She was startled from her thoughts at the sound of some unfortunate woodland creature screaming in terror and a familiar low growl. She blew out a relieved sigh.

"Crookshanks?" she called. "Is that you?"

After a moment, the half-cat, half-Kneazle crept into the clearing, circling around Professor Snape, giving the professor's leg an affectionate bump with his head in passing.

"Did you follow me here, clever boy?" Crookshanks rubbed himself against Hermione's cloak, his purr throaty and loud. "I need you to carry a message to the castle," she said, stroking his ears.

"And exactly how," Professor Snape asked, his words muffled from the handkerchief pressed to his nose, "Do you presume to write this message, Miss Granger? Do you happen to have writing supplies on your person?"

"I always carry spare parchment and a quill," she said matter-of-factly, taking them from an inside pocket of her robes.

Professor Snape stared at her for a moment. "Of course you do."

Hermione tucked her wand between shoulder and chin, smoothing the parchment across her knee as she scribbled a quick note.

"Take this to Madam Pomfrey, pet," she said, fastening the small bit of parchment around Crookshanks's collar and giving him a kiss on the head. "And run as fast as you can. Don't chase anything along the way."

She followed Crookshanks from the clearing, watching him trot along the path until he was no longer visible. The night was growing darker, with a chill breeze beginning to whip through the trees. She hoped he returned with Madam Pomfrey before it rained again.

As Hermione walked back toward Professor Snape, she noticed his wand still half-buried in the mud. She lifted it gently, brushing off wet leaves and cleaning it as best she could in the folds of her cloak. She stepped cautiously as she neared him, uncertain if he was awake or not. He lay awkwardly, his head resting along one arm, his eyes closed tightly.

"How are you feeling, sir?" she asked, trying to keep her voice quiet. "Can I do anything for you?"

He opened his eyes just long enough to give her an impatient look. "Yes," he said. "You can leave me alone."

"I'll go keep watch for Madam Pomfrey, then," Hermione said. "You may want your wand back, just in case." She knelt to place it in his hand. As his fingers closed around the grip, faint sparks arced from the end and he gasped. His face contorted in pain as he curled forward, contracting into himself, moaning low in his throat.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, her voice rising in panic as she crouched next to him, trying to hold him upright. "Professor, what's happening? Are you ill?"

He didn't answer, his breath coming in shuddering gasps. With a guttural cry, he suddenly arched backward, every muscle stiffening.

As she watched, frozen in horror, Hermione recalled what she'd recently learned about the Unforgivables and her stomach roiled in anger and sympathy. She recognized one of the worst after-effects of _Crucio_; rebound pain in the presence of a magical field. That's what made the curse so cruel; even if the victim could seek help afterward, the use of healing spells or potions would increase the pain.

"It's okay, sir," she said as she went to her knees next to him. He writhed, one hand finding and clutching at her cloak, the fabric balled up in his fist. Hermione gently slipped his wand from his other hand and extinguished her own wand light, setting both wands to the side.

"It's okay, Madam Pomfrey will be here soon."

She wrapped her arms around him as best she could, knowing she could do nothing to help him except stay close to him.

Professor Snape moaned again, teeth gritted against the agony, and she tightened her grip on him as he began to slip sideways. "I'm right here," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. More for her own benefit than his, she added, "You're going to be fine."

After a few moments that passed like hours, as his pain began to ease, Hermione felt him go limp against her. She gently eased him down until he was lying flat. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his breath rasped in and out. She could see his pulse bounding in his neck. He was too weak to lift his head from where it rested in her lap.

He opened his eyes, staring up at nothing. A fine tremor ran through his body.

"B..bloody hell," he murmured, and it sounded so like Ron and so unlike her formidable professor that she had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing aloud out of sheer relief. Hermione wanted more than anything to comfort him somehow but she was careful to keep her hands from him, knowing _Crucio_ caused increased sensitivity to touch.

A pained expression suddenly crossed his face and Hermione saw his throat working as he swallowed convulsively.

"I think," he said thickly, bracing his arms and trying to raise himself to a sitting position, "I think I'm going to..."

Hermione understood then and quickly helped him sit up. He wrenched himself away from her and stumbled toward the underbrush where he fell to his hands and knees. Hermione sat nearby, trying to give him as much privacy as possible while still keeping an eye on him..

"I'm sorry," he said when he'd finally finished, coughing and dashing clumsily at his mouth with his sleeve.

"Please don't apologize," Hermione said, removing a small flask of water from an inside pocket of her cloak. She unstoppered it and passed it to him. He accepted it in a trembling hand and then took a tentative swallow.

She reached into another pocket of her cloak and withdrew a handful of wrapped sweets. "Have a peppermint," she urged, holding them out toward him. "They'll help with that nasty taste in your mouth."

Professor Snape stared at the candies and then raised his eyes to hers, a slight look of wonderment on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "I was waiting for you to produce a Puffskein next."

Hermione blushed. "A prefect should be prepared for anything," she said quietly, feeling like a foolish and over-eager first year.

"I would expect nothing less from you, Miss Granger," he said, plucking one of the sweets from her hand.

They sat quietly, shoulder to shoulder, the only sounds the rustling of the branches overhead. As the wind picked up speed and began to cut through their shelter, a hard shudder ran through him. Professor Snape wrapped his arms about himself tightly in an attempt to control the shaking chills.

Hermione shrugged out of her cloak and settled it over him. "You need to keep warm until Madame Pomfrey arrives," she said, tucking the edges in around him. "This will have to do. I can't use any magic because it will just worsen the after-effects of _Cruc_..." She stopped then, horrified at what she had almost let slip.

He gave her a hard look, but was too sunk in misery to make any reply. He huddled under her cloak, shivering despite its heavy weight.

"Professor Snape." Hermione spoke on impulse, bending her head near his. "I...I wanted you to know that whatever it is you're doing, well, I think it's incredibly brave."

He shrugged one shoulder slightly. "I have no idea what you're nattering on about." His voice was beginning to slur slightly and Hermione knew she had only a few minutes left to speak before drowsiness completely overtook him.

"I know I shouldn't be talking about it," she continued, keeping her voice low, "But I realize now the danger you're putting yourself in every day. It's..." Her nerve began to fail as he remained silent. "I can't imagine how you do it." Hermione didn't know if he had even heard her, but she didn't regret telling him.

Rain began to fall through the canopy of trees, and in the distance, Hermione could make out the faint yowling of a cat and an unintelligible female response.

"It sounds like Crookshanks found Madam Pomfrey," she said, her voice suffused with relief. "I'm going to go meet them."

"Miss Granger," he said quietly. "Whatever conclusion you believe you've reached, for both our sakes, do not think on it too long."

She nodded. "I'll try not to," she said. She stood and brushed leaves from her robes. Turning to leave, she hesitated and turned back towards him. "Thank you, sir."


End file.
